Perennial growing tip: Several days ago Lisa Smith from Cape Ann TV helped me upload a film project. While working and catching up, she shared that she had purchased one each of a Marsh Milkweed plant and a Common Milkweed plant last year at our first Cape Ann Milkweed Project. Lisa thought hers weren’t doing that well and that they were not going to make it through the winter. She was very pleasantly surprised to see a strong sturdy stalk of Common Milkweed emerge as well as a nice little clump of Marsh Milkweed stems also emerge.

There’s an old-fashioned saying regarding growing perennials that goes something like this: The first year they sleep; the second, they creep; and the third year, they leap! Especially this year, where the ground and air temperature are cooler than what we have become accustomed to in recent years, perennials may be a little slower than usual to emerge.

Spread The GMG Love By Sharing With These Buttons:

A little bit of elbow grease never hurt anyone. Its about time the boys start pulling some weight around the house for pete’s sake.

Loving our new fire pit!! A totally fun afternoon project for VERY little $$$! And…the boys and I were very proud of ourselves…which is a bonus. Had we been thinking we would have saved this project for Father’s Day….damn.

Like this:

I absolutely love my Good Grips Cherry Pitter, by OXO! The OXO cherry Pitter, removes the pit swiftly without bruising the fruit. This handy little gadget makes eating cherries more enjoyable without their pits, and keeps them looking pretty enough to add to a summer fruit salad. The OXO’s small non slip handle design is perfect for the tiniest of hands. Most kids find this gadget more like a toy, and look forward to the task of removing pits. Yesterday within hours of my daughter Amanda’s arrival home from school for summer break, I found her at our kitchen island pitting a big bag of cherries just for fun!

It’s Simply a summer kitchen gadget must have !

Spread The GMG Love By Sharing With These Buttons:

In this photo, the tide is coming into Goose Cove, taken 100 years ago this month. Most of the houses on the shore are still there. Photographer Alice M. Curtis’s caption says it’s “taken from the bridge.” She used a tripod to steady her camera, and made a 5×7 inch negative.

Spread The GMG Love By Sharing With These Buttons:

Would you consider the effort that your favorite GMG contributors put in worthy of a vote for best blog? I think so. We’re in the mix, hopefully the energy we put into this thing for you 365 days a year has earned your vote.

Voting For Your Favorite Local Businesses and Services Is A Good Way To Reward Them For The Hard Work They Do All Year Long

I haven’t voted yet but I have to assume we’re nominated and if you would like to vote for the GMG Team we’d be pretty happy about that. But before you vote for us, there are so many other incredible bakeries, coffee shops, and destinations in our area that I believe in my heart of hearts deserve your votes so vote for them first if you do anything else!

Best of the North Shore (BONS) 2014 Voting

Where to eat, what to buy, who to see, and how to stay on trend—the answers lie all over the North Shore. We all have our go-to favorites and it’s your turn to weigh in by voting for the 2014 BONS Readers’ Choices Awards.

This year, there are more categories, a better voting platform, and bigger recognition for Readers’ Choices winners in the August 2014 issue of Northshore! Voting ends June 1.

Spread The GMG Love By Sharing With These Buttons:

Hi Joey,I am not sure if this is GMG material, but would you mind posting this announcement?Thanks,Erin McKayAttention families of students grade 8-11: The YMCA and Gloucester High School are exploring the possibility of starting a high school swim team. The YMCA will be offering free pool use for the first year of the program as well as a volunteer coach. Any students who will be in grades 9-12 next year at GHS are welcome. There are no try outs, and all students will be trained in the four basic strokes. Swimming will be part of the winter sports season so it is a great sport to participate in between fall and spring sports seasons to stay in shape. This is also a wonderful opportunity for kids who are not on a traditional team sport to try something new. Any interested participants should see Ms. Muise in the principal’s office, or contact the high school 978-281-9870.

YMCA of the North Shore Helps Bring Birthday Parties to Homeless Children

Y joins forces with Birthday Wishes organization to ensure ALL kids get a birthday celebration

Each of the YMCA of the North Shore’s seven locations: Cape Ann (Gloucester), Beverly, Marblehead, Salem, Ipswich, Haverhill and Plaistow, NH will be collecting birthday gifts and supplies from May 27 to June 15, to support Birthday Wishes, a local non profit that brings Birthday Parties to homeless children throughout the region.

Birthday Wishes supports the idea that children regardless of their living situation, should celebrate their birthdays joyfully, surrounded by family, friends, and others who care. It’s grassroots philosophy fosters the spirit of volunteerism and community service in the adults, children, and families who donate their time and resources to the Birthday Wishes mission.

Founded in 2002 as a volunteer organization serving one local shelter, Birthday Wishes has expanded its program to serve more than 185 shelters and transitional living facilities in Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Long Island, New York. Our goal is to provide birthday parties to all homeless children in Massachusetts and to make our model available to homeless family programs nationwide.

In Massachusetts and New Hampshire there are 96,000 homeless children who do not get to celebrate one of life’s sweetest joys—a birthday party. From May 27 to June 15, join the YMCA of the North Shore in spreading birthday cheer to a homeless child. Volunteer and donate party supplies or gifts at any of the seven YMCA of the North Shore locations in Cape Ann (Gloucester), Beverly, Marblehead, Salem, Ipswich, Haverhill and Plaistow, NH. Help ensure that ALL children have the opportunity to be celebrated on their birthday.

I am writing in hopes that you would be willing to share our event flyer (see attached) for this weekend’s upcoming cleanup at the Babson Reservoir with the City of Gloucester. The date is Sunday, June 1 from 9-11AM.

Thank you so much!

Hi Joey,I’m pleased to share that the next Cape Ann Contra Dance is scheduled for Saturday, May 31 at the First Baptist Church, 38 Gloucester Ave., Gloucester, MA.

No experience is required! All dances are taught.

House band regulars will be joined by guest fiddler Adrienne Howard.

A break is planned for the half-way point, roughly 8:30, for refreshments and visiting. Non-alcoholic drinks as well as finger snack foods are welcome to be brought and shared. Water bottles are recommended to reduce our use of paper cups.This dance is sponsored in part by the Outreach Fund of the Country Dance and Song Society, Folk Life Studio, and the generosity of the First Baptist Church, Gloucester and the Cape Ann House Contra Band.

Sandy Bay Preschool is thrilled to introduce the Cape Ann community to our new Director and Lead Teacher, Donna Hingston. Donna, a resident of Marblehead, has amassed 30+ years of experience both at the Preschool Director and Lead Teacher level. With degrees in Early Childhood Education and Psychology as well as noteworthy coursework in both Day Care Administration and Visual Arts, Donna brings boundless administrative, educational and creative expertise to the school. She is delighted to work alongside the fabulous Kristy Mulkern and is excited to have the support of a well-established parent cooperative preschool behind her. Although Donna officially begins in August, she is already working on plans for the 2014-2015 school year and will be involved in our summer playdates.

New and prospective families, alumni and the plain curious are invited to meet Donna at our open house on Wednesday, June 4 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. We think you’ll love her as much as we do!

Hi Joey,

The GHS Human Rights Initiative is holding their second annual benefit concert next Wednesday, June 4th at 6 P.M. at the Stage Fort Park Gazebo. There will be five talented high school and local musicians and bands playing that night as we raise awareness about the issue of the imbalance of education in the United States. The concert is free to the public, but we will appreciate any donations, which will be sent to Teach for America, a program devoted to eliminating educational inequality.

If you could plug this in your blog before next Wednesday, that would be really great! Also if you wanted to bring down a photographer for the night of, that would be really fun!

Thank you very much! Please feel free to email/call me if you have any questions.

Hey Joey!

We’re raising funds to put in a floating dock at the Paint Factory in honor of our friend and co-worker Kim Marshall Tilas to celebrate her 50th birthday and surviving breast cancer. The goal is $9250 in time for Kim to pop a champagne cork on her birthday on July 24th. Just go to http://www.whale.org/help-make-birthday-wish-come-true-dock-paint-factory/. We’re looking forward to visitors arriving at the Paint Factory from the water.

Gloucester Webcam

The GloucesterCast Podcast

Free GMG Gloucester Sticker

As long as supplies last if any GMG folks want a bumper sticker but can't drop down the dock, just send a self addressed and stamped envelope longer then 7 and a half inches and I'll drop one in the mail for you.

Send the self addressed and stamped envelope to the dock at 95 East Main St Gloucester Ma 01930 care of Joey (put my name in big letters to make sure it gets to me)

Free GMG Gloucester Sticker

As long as supplies last if any GMG folks want a bumper sticker but can't drop down the dock, just send a self addressed and stamped envelope longer then 7 and a half inches and I'll drop one in the mail for you.

Send the self addressed and stamped envelope to the dock at 95 East Main St Gloucester Ma 01930 care of Joey (put my name in big letters to make sure it gets to me)